Help with Comet laptop refund needed

Darkangel

Hello,
Continuing from my ongoing saga with comet and my broken laptop
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=605801

Comet have since taken it away, looked at it, written it off and offered me an £800 credit for a new one.

Thing is I don't want to buy another laptop from Comet as I've had the most horrendous time with them, the last straw being passed around 4 departments and being put on hold for 30 minutes last friday trying to sort out a data transfer (which I have to pay £175 for!)

I've just got off the phone to them trying to get a full refund from them and the woman flat out refused. She cut me off when I was talking and just said no (it was pretty much tough s**t, you're not getting anything out of us)

Do you think I should be entitled to a refund? I know it was out of warranty but I just don't have the confidence to buy from them again.

what do you think? Should I be grateful that I've even got the £800 credit and bite the bullet and buy from them again?

wonka

Sorry, you're not entitled to a refund under the sale of goods act, but you are entitled to expect Comet to make good the defect, i.e. repair or replacement.

The sum you can claim depends on how much you paid for it. Considering it was only 15 months old, they should offer at least 75% of the purchase price (or repair cost), maybe even more.

You should now take them to the small claims court and demand a certain sum, based on how long a reasonable person would expect a laptop to last for. I would say at least 3 years, maybe 4 years for a laptop, and you've already had just over a year out of it. So 75% seems reasonable.

You need to read up on the Sale of Goods act - google it. Or contact http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/

I suspect you may only be able to claim the cost of repair, but since laptop motherboards are pretty difficult to repair, it would be more economical to replace it, and that could be a good few hundred quid.

Also, if the data transfer is a consequence of the defect, you can definitely claim the full cost of that back.

If it was me, and the laptop was not much more than £800, I would accept the £800 credit note, BUT I would not be willing to foot the cost of the data transfer.

Darkangel

Thanks for replying,

My laptop did cost me £800 to start with so they have given me back the full value in a credit note.

The reason for not wanting to buy from them again is because of their customer services being crap and the thought of having to go through all this again in another 12 months makes my stomach turn.

I know it is a good offer but the laptop I want they don't stock, the £829 mac book which is available elsewhere but not Comet). I would have to spend an additional £150 to get the high end mac which is too much to pay for a laptop for my needs but the lower spec mac book for £699 isn't enough for what I want.

I doubt they'd let me off with the data transfer charge as the woman in the Comet 2nd line team was very short with me and wasn't going to budge on anything.

Millionaire

There nothing else you can do,

They have offered you a full credit note for a out of warranty laptop due to the SOGA.

You cant expect them to pay your money back to you after using a laptop for 15 months that you brought from them so you can buy some where else.

wonka

Considering your laptop only cost £800, I tend to agree with Millionaire.

You could take them to the small claims court for the data transfer fee, but considering they've given you a credit note for the full amount, a judge would probably think that Comet have been quite reasonable.

I know you'd like a different brand that Comet don't stock, but Comet only have to make good your purchase, the Sale Of Goods Act states that they should only pay for repair, or replace the goods if that would be more economical. And that's what they've done.

epz_2

cant you get a toshiba or something better built off them, they will have a manufacurers waranty, usually 3 years.

Blacksheep1979

If they'll give you the credit in the form of vouchers take them and stick them on ebay - you'll realise about 95% of their value which tbh is more than you're 'legally' entitled to.